How to Be a Scarf Person - Picking a Color

 Silk Infinity Scarf - 22x76" in Aqua Blue, photographed by Denise Van Photography.

Color being an integral part of Ten Thousand Dandelions, we're starting there for this scarf-ful series.

The first step in choosing a scarf is usually choosing a color. If I've found the right color, it almost doesn't matter what the style is – I can make it work. But picking from an array can be tricky if you don't have a color in mind (there are definitely days when I want all the colors, and picking just one is a struggle that takes way more time than it should).

If you've come on a color mission, or you want to use birth months as a guide to our Birthstone Collection, then you already have a good idea of what you're looking for.

But if you're still browsing, whether in your closet or in a store or on the Ten Thousand Dandelions website, then there are a few ways to start narrowing your options down.

 Silk Scarf 11x60" in Speckled Sage & Herkimer Diamond Earrings. Square Silk Scarf 35x35" in Crocus & Amethyst Earrings.  Photographed by Denise Van Photography.

The first, of course, is to think about the colors you really like to wear, or just really like – we often gravitate towards colors that will look good on us.

Since a scarf frames your face, you want something that will look good against your skin, maybe contrasts with your hair or brings out your eyes - you know the kind of thing I'm talking about.

(If you don't know, a quick starting point can be whether gold jewelry or silver jewelry looks better against your skin – and they can both look good, it's just a question of whether you like one better. If you prefer the gold, then try scarves in warmer tones. If you like silver, try something on the cooler end of the color wheel.)

Silk Scarf - 14x72" in Rose Pink and Pearl Earrings.  Photographed and modeled by Odette Photo+Art

Alternatively, think about colors you really don't like to wear, and pick anything but them! I have some of just about every color family in my closet – except true, primary color, lemon, sunshine yellow. The closest I get are shades of gold, brown and tan, or yellows as an accent in a print. 

Yellow green?  Sure! Dark mustard? Can do!  But I don't have anything that's just yellow, because true yellows tend to make my skin look kind of flat. (Our signature Dandelion Gold silk scarves are a golden yellow, not a yellow-yellow - absolutely deliberate!)

I bet, if you think about it, you know colors like that - maybe you can't quite put your finger on it, but something doesn't look right when you wear them.  That kind of thing tends to be more apparent when you're wearing something next to your skin (as opposed to if I wear yellow socks with pants, for example, because the color only shows next to my shoes and my pants) so you know to look at other colors for your scarf.

Silk Infinity Scarf - 11x60" in Dandelion Gold.  Photographed by Lex & Wolf Photography

(Oh, and one more note – if reading through this blog post has left you wanting a scarf in completely the “wrong” color, don't sweat it. I have absolutely eenie meenie miney moe'd my closet, and then cheated because I moe'd the wrong shirt. Sometimes you just have to break the rules.)

Warmly,

Clare